Mike Shanahan has “no doubt” he’ll return to Redskins

Mike Shanahan is the first Redskins coach to preside over back-to-back seasons with double-digit losses since Norv Turner in the mid-90’s.

Turner survived those seasons to stick around a while longer, but that was before Dan Snyder bought the team. Snyder has fired every one of his Redskins coaches in two years or less except for Joe Gibbs.

That’s why it’s not that crazy to think Shanahan could be a surprise coach to lose his job at the end of this season. It would certainly surprise Shanahan.

“Hopefully there’s no doubt in Dan’s mind, too,” Shanahan said with a laugh. “That would be the bigger guy to ask.”

Shanahan continues to sell the notion that he needs time to truly rebuild, saying it “going to take some time to do it right.”

Although Shanahan’s decisions at quarterback deserve a lot of scrutiny, we’re inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s drafted well and the Redskins don’t need to keep starting over from scratch.

As a Redskins fan, I can’t lie and say it hasn’t been frustrating, but a lot of that frustration deals with the futility of the last 20 years and the promise every year brings only the spiral in disappointment.

However, even though we may end up winning LESS games this year, I feel better about how the year went. We got hammered by injuries when we were already thin. We had zero margin for error and Rex Grossman never changed his stripes (no surprise).

I’m excited for the draft this year to see what we can infuse on our offense. We should definitely stay the course with Shanahan and give him another year or two to see if the rebuilding can truly be done right!

The Redskins are better than they were. I’ll grant him that. The problem is, they’re still not GOOD. Better than ‘utter crap’ is still ‘crap’.

I’m inclined to think that Washington can do better than The Gnome… depends on whether he actually does the right thing and drafts a quarterback, or if he insists that Grossman/Beck is the way to go next year too.

paleandpasty says:Dec 29, 2011 3:53 PM

He hasn’t reached for a QB yet, but he is going to have to soon if he can’t get one with his first rounder.

I was a defender of Shanahan everytime somebody said he only won the rings because of Elway.

It’s starting to look like it’s the truth.

If this team doesn’t turn around in a major way next year he and his posse of coaches have to go. Back to back 10 loss seasons?

Stop hiring old coaches for name value. Due some work and find a coordinator that can make it happen. Look at Mike Smith of ATL, Jim Shwartz of DET, the Harbough brothers, Hue Jackson of OAK. They were given teams that were in shambles.

I’m just fed up with my team. year in, year out loss after blow out loss after loss after missing the playoffs.

and guess what, if Shanahan leads the SKins to another 5 or 6 win season next year he will get fired and the fans can expect the “rebuilding” process, AKA vicious cycle, all over again.

They need a QB, WR, CB, and a little more depth. Team will be contending within the next 2 years if they get the right signal caller.

coachmfarrell says:Dec 29, 2011 4:08 PM

To the numbnuts who have the “he hasn’t done anything since Elway”, he averaged 9 to 10 wins a year in Denver. He had Bubby freaking Brister looking descent, and sent Brian Griese, Jake Plummer and Jay Cutler to pro bowls. The man was fired in Denver for only winning 7 games in 08, where wonder boy McDaniels commenced to destroy that franchise after Shamny split. The guy has brought in tons of young talent and has managed to land us 10 picks in the coming draft. He couldnt win with Cerratos horribly put together roster and had to gut it. After a 3rd solid draft we’ll see who’s talkin.

I said when Shanahan was hired that he had 3 years at the most or he’d be gone. He’ll be lucky to come back next year. He’ll need to win at least 9 to keep his job after next season. Snyder fancies himself as a junior Jerry Jones and can run his own team. Unfortunately the Redskins will never win another championship with Snyder at the helm.

The Redskins still have a long way to go. They need a QB, young WR’s, decide who the starting RB is, figure out if they will have a pass catching TE next season and hope the O-line can continue to improve. None of this will really matter as long as both Shanahans are there.

NoPayneNoGain51 says:Dec 29, 2011 4:12 PM

If he fails to get a QB in the 1st round…. He should be fired before round 2 starts.

Shanahan coached the Broncos for 10 full seasons following Elway’s retirement in January of 1999. 6 of those seasons were “winning” seasons, including 10 or more wins 4 times and an AFC Championship game after the 2005 season. So he has won post-Elway, but it’s been a while. I think the guy can still coach, but the leash is getting shorter.

Why in the hell do Redskins fans keep saying they have alot of “talent”? Qb- garbage, running backs-garbage, receiving corps- garbage, offensive line-garbage. Explain to me, without making me erupt with laughter, where do you see all this “talent”?

wethog66 says:Dec 29, 2011 4:37 PM

As a Skins fan I have no doubt Shanahan will be back. The job he has done completely tearing down what was a load of crap under Uncle Vinny has been great to follow. 13 players remain from the year before Shanahan. 13. All those turd personalities and turd contracts got flushed. Gone is the culture of pissing away draft picks.

For anyone to say Shanahan doesn’t deserve to return doesn’t know a lot about football. And if a Skins fan feels he should be fired, well they are idiots.

Also, to those whipping out the old tired line of Shanahan hasn’t won anything without Elway, well how many SB’s did Elway win without Shanahan and his running game? Yup, zero. And Steve Young credits Shanahan with making him a SB winning and HOF QB, but what does Steve Young know right?

My Theory: In order to sell more tickets and more jerseys and the Redskins will trade all of this years draft picks to the Indy Colts for Peyton Manning.

Don’t act like it’s improbable.

deadmanwalking47 says:Dec 29, 2011 4:37 PM

he’ll be back.as long as i have been a redskins fan(over 40 years) the qb from this season is the worst it ever was.cut rex,sign matt flynn,and draft rg3,and sign some linemen,skins will be a lot better!

I am also a Redskin fan – back to 1970 – and fully support Shanny’s return. He took over a complete mess and has slowly rebuilt the foundation addressing each issue. Whereas we were in salary cap hell and had no draft choices, Shanny and Allen have addressed this situation and that is no longer an issue. We have draft choices and salary cap room to maneuver in the direction that each sees we need to go.

Our defense when Shanny arrived was a paper tiger – a statistical dream and a reality nightmare. That defense couldn’t stop anyone, couldn’t force a turnover, couldn’t sack anyone, and covered even worse. Shanny was lampooned for taking a worthless 4-3 defense and converting it to a 3-4, but at the end of two years, this defense is more consistent and actually puts the hurt on competitors when they make plays. This defense is missing a few components, but it is faster and meaner. Adding a new safety and sending Landry off for a draft pick will be a great start to add someone who will be on the field more than he isn’t. Adding a new corner to replace Arse-inio Hall will be another great move.

Whereas the running game was unsettled after year one (we sent Sheriff I Ain’t Gonna Practice Goodbye). Now after the second year we have found two very good rookies and if Hightower comes back as he started, we have a backfield that gains over 100 yards a game and can take the pressure off the offensive line.

It is true that we need an upgrade at QB and hopefully we won’t be fooled into thinking any of those big name 1st rounders is the answer. Let’s trade down, add more picks, flesh out the team as we did in the 2011 draft, and pick up several potential QB’s in lower rounds that show leadership and intelligence. We don’t need flash. We just need someone who won’t hurt us – a fact that would have likely given us 4 more wins in 2011 than we had.

As to the insults toward Shanny, perhaps we should also say that New England with the Cheater Coach can’t win a Super Bowl without Brady and Pittsburgh’s coach in the modern era is not much without the Woman Abuser. Indy without Manning is a joke regardless of who coaches. The point is that a strong QB does elevate a coach, but let’s not slam one coach without indicting all of them who haven’t managed success without their stud player.

Shanny is a better talent scout than the average coach, has instilled discipline, is not a flash in the pan coach like Tampa Bay’s, and is committed to improving his team. Few coaches would take the mess he inherited and still have them playing hard in the second half of the year when the wheels fell off with running backs that no longer performed like they had; and give him props for putting in younger players which turned out to be BETTER than even the pundits imagined.

I expect that the Redskins will have a rough first half next year as the new QB gets his legs, but he will rise above and get support from his teammates and excel in the 2nd half to establish that the Redskins are back. Hate at your own risk.

Adlant says “I’m excited about the draft this year”. Of course you are….what else can a deadskin fan be excited about since your season was over 2 months ago?! You also bring up the injury excuse….what team has not had to deal with injuries this year?? Lame excuse. Start the season 3-1 and finish the last 12 games 2-10….IMPRESSIVE!

I would not put it passed Mike that he trades up in the draft and lands Luck. This team already had a pretty good O-line, the DE has been up/down for what the last 4-6 season so maybe that needs a little work but otherwise they have good WR’s, TE’s and coaching staff.

Let the haters hate. The skins are a better team, with young talent. Only reason we see the negative banter is that they have no idea what they are talking about because they don’t follow the skins. They just read about the negative overblown write ups, and what the national media perceives this team to be. What I have seen is that the skins have had the best draft in over 20 years, two really good young RB’s, a WR who unfortunately got hurt after his 100 yd rec game, and dominating DT who was injured before the season started, an OLB who should be in the running for Rookie Defensive Player of year, and a 7th round OT who has proved his worth over the past 3 games, and Special Teams role players, but what do I know. The skins organization would be foolish the start over. We finally have a front office that looks like the actually know what they are doing. Stay the course. HTTR!!

Beasofeden, outside of your poor grammer, i understand where your coming from. However, where was Dungy before Manning, BB before Brady, heck, look at Holmgren before Favre, and Walsh before Montana. Like somebody else said, crap in a dress is still crap no matter how much you dress it up. The ‘Skins had alot of crap, still have some, but Shannahan is flushing most of it and making some very good decisions on what to replace it with. This team needs a QB and a season with out almost every starter missing a game due to injury. Playing in the the NFCE also doesn’t help.

Ten years of Snyder wanting to win now with overpriced, over the hill free agents, to universal derision. Even when St Joe came back, it was a win-now mode. Finally Cerrato is ousted, Snyder is chastened, Shanahan is patiently purging, and haters want him gone. Shocker.

Complete roster overhaul, Haynesworth sacked, 3-4 adopted, line bolstered, running game fresh no matter who takes the handoff, and yes, major issue at QB. Wanna mock Shanahan for McNabb? Fair play, but I doubt anyone else knew how steep a cliff he would fall off.

Beef up OL and turn this year’s misfortune into QB lemonade. A bigger WR from free agency, and they’ll be young and ascendant in year three of what was always considered a four year rebuild.

fittytuckin says:
Dec 29, 2011 4:34 PM
Why in the hell do Redskins fans keep saying they have alot of “talent”? Qb- garbage, running backs-garbage, receiving corps- garbage, offensive line-garbage. Explain to me, without making me erupt with laughter, where do you see all this “talent”?

———————–
This guy obviously is a football idiot, a Giant or Cowgirl fan. Erupt with laughter? please do. You have no idea what a complete fool you sound like with this post. Ask the Division leader Giants, if they think the skins are garbage. You obviously have no idea the strides this team has made becoming younger, faster, smarter, and stronger as a team this year. It’s called rebuilding you fool. Stop posting if that’s all of the football knowledge you can display.

Shanahan coached the Broncos for 10 full seasons following Elway’s retirement in January of 1999. 6 of those seasons were “winning” seasons, including 10 or more wins 4 times and an AFC Championship game after the 2005 season. So he has won post-Elway, but it’s been a while. I think the guy can still coach, but the leash is getting shorter.

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And during that time he had 1 playoff win.. on a snowy night in Denver, against the Patriots because of a baloney pass interference call… other than that 1 win, he got blown completely out of every other playoff game he coached in.

Shanny isn’t going anywhere. We’re younger and faster. The roster was crap when he walked into Redskins Park and he’s developing it with talent. This offseason will be a nice mix of draftees and free agents to round out the roster. He’s made some nice picks in the draft so far. Steady she goes!! Hail!!

kinggw says:Dec 29, 2011 5:47 PM

@wethog66 I think Shanahan should be fired.

You can call me an idiot, but I think the only idiots are people who think that things have changed for the better since Shanahan has arrived.

You say that Shanahan hasnt pissed away draft picks, what do you call McNabb and Jammal Brown? Oh but he got rid of turd personalities. Which ones? Haynesworth or maybe your talking about Rogers and Carter who the Skins could have used this season.

Since Shanahan’s arrival, he has wasted draft picks, unnecessarily switched to a 3-4, made horrible picks (Williams is looking like a bust), jettisoned productive players and has been his own teams biggest distraction because of how he dealt with a player not showing up to a voluntary workout. It would be different if along the way the Skins fixed the O-line and solidified the D-line but that hasnt happened. Shanahan is more concerned about finding players who are going to kiss his ass rather than those that will help the team win. Its telling that Zorn, who wasnt allowed to pick his own anything, has a better record than Shanahan over his first two years. I can understand the Skins wanting to develop some continuity and not get rid of Shanahan just yet, but they are idiots if they continue to let him lord over personnel.

bleed4philly says:Dec 29, 2011 5:54 PM

If Grossman didn’t get pulled, there’d be 4 teams at 8-8 in the NFC East this year.

Shanahan had a public ego fight with Haynesworth which cast a huge cloud over the season.
He brought in Mcnabb to be his QB
He wouldn’t settle on a starting RB to get continuity in the run game.
His OC is not very good
The defense is shaping up nicely but having Rex Grossman leading the offense is not a good thing.

Shanahan may not turn out to be the answer, but firing another coach after two years is most certainly not the answer. The team is building from the inside out. Meaning defense and the trenches first. This philosophy looks terrible at first, as not many skill players and play makers are brought in initially. There’s a good article on rebuilding the skins at http://worldwidebleater.wordpress.com/ RG III and a play making receiver could have this team at 10-6 next year and in the playoffs. I know the defense has big holes, but nobody plays defense anymore.

johnnybagofdoughnuts says:Dec 29, 2011 6:09 PM

cant help but looking at #22 of the niners. he would look good playing for the skins eh. pro bowl corner this year. shanny put his rep. on the line for beck and rex,cant trust his judgment. andre carter not so bad huh? if he picks a QB will he make the right choice? he had a good 4/3 defense, now people are in the wrong place to make a tackle. next year no QB,no offensive line, corners cant cover, fletch getting older,eagles giants,cowgirls,all getting better and we have to start over. yuk another wasted year.

tinbender2000 says:Dec 29, 2011 6:12 PM

“Hopefully there’s no doubt in Dan’s mind, too,” Shanahan said with a laugh. “That would be the bigger guy to ask.”

If I had said “bigger guy” referring to Dan Snyder I’d have to say it with a laugh too!

Laserw, the manuscript you wrote is spot-on! Give me a QB, a right tackle, and a strong safety, and the injured guys all healthy, and this team is winning a lot next year. Add another o lineman or 2, a corner, another big wr, and they’re gonna be good and young.

scytherius says:Dec 29, 2011 6:40 PM

NOTHING the Skins do matters as long as Snyder is the owner. Absolutely nothing. Been saying that since day 1 when he bought the team and it is dead on fact.

We should be better next year. We are still a LONG way from being a good team. All 11 of Dallas’ offensive players are better than all 11 of ours, position for position. Same for Philly. If Cooley could return to form, he’d be the only possible exception when compared to Philly. And neither Dallas nor Philly has done much this year.

The Skins are a train wreck, bottom of the heap in a weak division. Shanny did nothing to turn this inept franchise around despite tens of millions spent on player acquisition. But Snyder has no choice other than to swallow his pride and eat a big long-term contract.

Skins had 9 guys on IR this season. Every GM misses on players, some don’t get “hits” on good players. Shanahan does both. We need another veteran QB, a young QB, OL depth, Safety, Corner and a WR. This guy is building this team the right way. I don’t care if he has the ego the size of Montana….as long as he gets us another Super Bowl win….effff all this other BS. Hail!

bosfaninva says:Dec 29, 2011 9:17 PM

The Skins have long been my #2 team…but Shanahan has long been my #32 coach. I’d take another losing season –
– and what’s one more at this point — just to get his tired azz out of here.

zonedogz says:Dec 29, 2011 9:50 PM

Although not impossible I’d be shocked if Shanahan is let go but more shocked if he doesn’t make a big move up in the draft to get Luck or RG3 in the draft to save his job next year.

skinsfan4 says:Dec 29, 2011 10:07 PM

Rabidbillsfan, the majority of your post was borderline illiterate. First of all, the other person’s username is Beastofeden (not beasofeden). Secondly, it’s “grammar”, not “grammar”. As beastofeden already pointed out, it’s “you’re” (not “your”). It’s “a lot” instead of “alot”. It’s “Shanahan” and not “Shannahan”. Lastly, it’s “without” (not “with out”). Before you go ripping others for their “grammar”, you might want to brush up on your english first.

When I first read the headline I thought why wouldn’t he? Upon further reflection I now ask myself why would he?

ermur22 says:Dec 30, 2011 2:26 AM

Any head coach that would choose to play Rex Grossman as there starting QB should be fired…..what a waste of a year

wolfiewolfgang says:Dec 30, 2011 6:21 AM

So I just want to make sure I understand correctly. A currently employed coach with another game remaining was asked if he would be returning thus enabling himself to at least motivate the team to perform for another week with the potential threat of auditioning for the next season.
The only possible story here would be if he pulled-out a shotgun and double-tapped his own foot during the interview by answering honestly. Any type of unequivocal answer like, “well it’s not up to me” or “I’m not the one who makes those decisions” should have him immediately terminated. Short of that this is a non-story.

kbv510 says:Dec 30, 2011 10:48 AM

bwisnasky says: Dec 29, 2011 5:22 PM

And during that time he had 1 playoff win.. on a snowy night in Denver, against the Patriots because of a baloney pass interference call… other than that 1 win, he got blown completely out of every other playoff game he coached in.

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Denver won because of a PI call?? so what do you think about the patriots super bowl run when they won because of the tuck rule, or the referees helping the steelers against the seahawks.

kbv510 says:Dec 30, 2011 10:50 AM

kinggw says: Dec 29, 2011 5:47 PM

@wethog66 I think Shanahan should be fired.

You can call me an idiot, but I think the only idiots are people who think that things have changed for the better since Shanahan has arrived.

You say that Shanahan hasnt pissed away draft picks, what do you call McNabb and Jammal Brown? Oh but he got rid of turd personalities. Which ones? Haynesworth or maybe your talking about Rogers and Carter who the Skins could have used this season.

Since Shanahan’s arrival, he has wasted draft picks, unnecessarily switched to a 3-4, made horrible picks (Williams is looking like a bust), jettisoned productive players and has been his own teams biggest distraction because of how he dealt with a player not showing up to a voluntary workout. It would be different if along the way the Skins fixed the O-line and solidified the D-line but that hasnt happened. Shanahan is more concerned about finding players who are going to kiss his ass rather than those that will help the team win. Its telling that Zorn, who wasnt allowed to pick his own anything, has a better record than Shanahan over his first two years. I can understand the Skins wanting to develop some continuity and not get rid of Shanahan just yet, but they are idiots if they continue to let him lord over personnel.

I have to say that rogers was an locker room annoyance as well because he complained about his contract his last two years in DC and did not even have a playing effort to back up those talks. As for carter he fell off his game and didnt do anything in washington after converting to a 3-4.

The Redskins have a problem with their OWNER and have had that problem from the start. Snyder thinks he knows better than any coach or talent scout what the team needs, he thinks he’s above all kinds of rules and laws outside of the stadium and is just a megalomaniac. Snyder needs to either sell the team to someone who understands football or he needs to sit back and NOT get involved in ANYTHING other than signing the checks. Get a decent GM who understands the game and where the shortcomings are who can more realistically gauge whether the coaching, coordinators or the players are at fault for issues within the team. STOP FIRING COACHES AFTER 2 – 3 SEASONS. When there is no consistency in the coaching staff from year to year, no consistency in the plays that the team has to perform then OF COURSE you’re going to lose more games than you win.

I agree that the Redskins need a quality QB. I predicted McNabb was going to be a HUGE issue before he was hired. I don’t think Grossman is the solution at QB, either. The entire team needs work … but the QB situation and pissing away draft picks for an aging prima-donna QB was certainly NOT the best solution!